The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-07-01
THE LOYAL LEGION.

Leavenworth ON June "a. A mammoth tent
had been pitched for the accommodation Of
the members, which was handsomely dec
grated with flags and other army emblems.
Members Of tha legion were present from
every portion Of Kansas and from Missouri,
Nebraska and Iowa. Letters were read re-
GREETING their inability to attend from the
foilowing-named gentlemen: John Sher-
man, Roscoe Conkling, Secretary Endicott,
Secretary Villas, General Schofield, General
Crook, General Merritt, General Drum, E.
N. Merrill and Senator Henderson. Ate,e-
gram was received from Governor Martin
stating that the sickness Of child pre-
vented his attendance. After q short bus
mess session in the evening, at which new
members were admitted, the legion re-
paired to the banquet tent, where double
cstions awaited them. After partaking OF
The feast toasts were announced, and
Ex-Governor Anthony responded hap
PLY to the toast: 1.-THE President"
The sentiment ''The Loyal Legion" was re-
sponded to by General Powell, of st. Louis,
and Colonel Smith, of the Soldiers Home,
responded to '.Our Guests" The next toast
vas '.Kansas in the War;" and was re-
,ponded to by Captain Hallowell, in the alb
,ence Of Governor John A. Martin, who
1du UCCu CApCCteu W ICopOuu.
KANSAS WAR RECORD.
Although Governor Martin was prevented
from being present, his remarks which
aad been prepared for the occasion gave
some interesting Kansas "reminiscences.
The following interesting statistic are taken
from his remarks as prepared:
In less than three decades the MEN and
women of Kansas have wiped desert from the
of hv,a and vrith
square miles Of cultivated field and fragrant
meadows and towering forests have dotted the
whole of this vast territory with prosperous
.ities, towns and villages; have sent loco
motive whistling through nearly every county;
lave planted school houses and churches in
every township, and have accumulated greater
and more eQuitaby distributed wealth than
possessed by any other equal number Of peo-
Die on the face of the globe. Fairly but very
briefly summarized, this is the record Of Kansas
n peace. In war the history Of the young State
Was no less eventful and distinguished. The
lash of the gun at Sumter was to the people Of
| he county generally like thunderbOlt out Of a
| serene and cloudless sky, but in Kansas its
echoes fell upon the ears Of . people ready for
| he contest.
The call to arms was therefore responded to
| oy the people Of Kansas with unparalleled unan-
| nifty and enthusiasm. Long before the Presi-
|
military companies had been organized in every
.ity, town and hamlet in the State, and the first
| Two regiments sworn into the service of the
| United States were not recruited. Three COM
panies were selected out Of enough offered to
| form half o dozen regiments. From thst day
nntil the close Of the rebellion the representa-
tives Of the young State at Washington were
kept busy importuning and begging the War
Department to accept and muster in the rapidly
Ropvx vr,t1it N nj al
records of the war show that, reducing the
troops furnished to years standard. only one
State in the Union filed the quotas assigned II,
| and that State was Kansas. The General Gov
| eminent called on Kansas during the four
years from 1861 to 1854 for 1881 men, and
| she furnished . total Of 0,66l, nearly
double the number called for. Reduced
| to three years standard Kansas furnished 49,
! sOS men, or 5.775 in excess Of the number called
Tor The quotas assigned all the States we're
based on their population. The census Of 1860
gave Kansas population of 107 ,306. and of this
number only SALTS were males and only 1907
| between the ages Of twenty and fifty years. At
an exciting election held in the fall Of 1850 the
total vote Of the State was less than 1900. The
young State therefore contributed to the Union
army nearly 1000 more soldiers than it had
votes in 1s6O. Such record OF devotion to q
cause il, venture to say, unexampled in tho
history of any other war thxf has ever occurred
in any age or country. Under the call Of April
| Is, 1861, for 81 $50 three months men, no quota
was assigned to Kansas, but she furnished $50.
Under the second call, that Of May 8, 1881, for
10000 three-years men, the quota assigned to
Kansas was LBS. but she furnished 6Os3.
Under the call Of July =, 1869, for 800 900 three
gears men. Kansas quota was LII, but she
| furnished g 1856.
Under the calls Of October II, 1863 and Feb
ruary !, 1864. for 5000 three-years men, the
quota Of Kansas was 3,s23, but she furnished
s,s7A
Under the call Of March H. 1854 for 10000
three-years men, Kansas quota was !, 400 but
she furnished 1854.
Under the calls Of July IS and December 10,
1864, the quota Of Kansas was ~. and she fur
nished ,24.
The only call to which Kansas did not respond
was that Of August L. 1867, for $4,000 nine
months men. The volunteers of Kansas went
| in for three years. The only enlistments for q
briefer period were those OF the Second Kansas
for three months, under the Presidents first
call for troops, and the greater part Of this regi
ment Immediately on its muster out re-enlistcd
for three years. battalion of al men re
cruited in the autumn OF 1864 for the 100 days
service, and 6ss men furnished in December,
lSG4, for one year.
or the ,G6l volunteers furnished by Kansas
during the rebellion all except 1,S13 enlisted
for three years, or during the war. These cold.
official records illustrate more eloQuently than
any language can describe the splendid enthu-
sasm with which the patriotic people of Kan
sas rallied around the flag, but impressive and
wonderful Us they are they do not tell the whole
story. Kansas was called upon during the first
year to furnish only I, ss5 men. and is credited
On the quotas Of that year with 7,6G3, but she
actually furnished nine full regiments and one
battery before the close Of the year 1861.
During the second year of the war she was
called upon fer LII three-years and LII nine
months men, and she responded with four full
.eximents and battery for three years; none
| Tor nine lnOnths. During 1868 and 1864 her
; quotas aggregated 6,lA, and she furnished five
full regiments and . battery for three years, .
battalion of nearly 500 men for 100 days, and
over 600 men for year. Thus the young State
| furnished during the war nine regiments of in
| iantry, nine Of cavalry, three batteries and
ave companies, and 1,a09 Of these men
mainly of the First, Seventh. Eighth and
Tenth regiments re-enlisted in 1858 as
| veterans. Thus every call made upon Kansas
was filed at once and during the first two years
81 the war doubly filed by her eager, brave and
patriotic sons. With what dsuntless courage
| and unselfish devotion the soldieD of Kansas
followed the flag with what confident faith and
| sublime selfsacrifice they marched and fought
| and suffered and died, the unexampied losses
they sustained in battle will conclusively prove.
Il January, 1867, the Provost Marshal General
| " the army, General ]. b. Fry, made q report
showing the portion Of soldiers killed in battle
per ! 900 men from each State. Kansas headed
ME list with 61.01; Vermont ranked second.
AR and Massachusetts, third Ats.
-"Why won't You let me have that
horse? He's fine-looking fellow"
said gentleman to a stable-keeper.
"Wen, sir, l must tell you that since
his mate died, SEEM as how he'd Al
ways been used to goin' on the nigh
sido ha do Sh,, a loaflo with his of